Rechargeable batteries power smartphones, tablets, laptops, cameras, MP3 players, handheld game consoles, shavers and many other electric and electronic devices for everyday use.

The global market for lithium-ion batteries was $12 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach $33 billion by 2019, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.4%. Staggering numbers.

Advancement in battery technology hasn’t kept pace with market’s growth. Modern batteries are based on the same electrochemical principles discovered by Italian physicist Alessandro Volta two centuries ago.

Current portables tend to run out of power in the middle of the day—frequently, in the most inconvenient moments. Having to wait one to two hours for a full recharge only adds insult to injury.

Another problem with current battery technology is its short lifespan, normally less than 1,000 charge/discharge cycles. In many cases a rechargeable battery dies on us while the electronic device that powers still delivers great performance.

In the United States, Americans purchase nearly three billion toxic batteries annually, and about 179,000 tons of those end up in landfills across the country. Worldwide this number probably translates to 10 billion batteries every year. Our contaminated soils can certainly take a break.